Dragon Sword

by Angelique Anderson

  "Good, then please... take the wheel barrow, and water barrel and go get us some water. With haste!" she commanded.

  "Yes, milady captain," he said, the smile disappearing from his face as he prepared for his journey away.

  "I don't know where the nearest water supply is, but I need you to hurry. Duggary is not well, and I'm sure Branwin is going to need tending once he awakes as well."

  "Don't you worry, I'll be back before you know it." With a bow of his head, he left in a speed walk, pushing the empty water barrel in the wheelbarrow.

  Thank goodness the farmer allowed me use of that, she thought with some gratefulness.

  Svana took off into the woods to have a moment to herself once Jasper had awakened and could tend to Duggary. She withdrew her sword, and slashed her way through the trees, practicing her swings and aiming at dead trunks in case she were met with someone along the road she wasn't prepared for.

  "Someone's got a bit of angry streak," Lingaria teased Svana as she swung the blade about.

  "No, not at all. I just don't know what we're going to deal with and I want to make sure I'm the best I can be. Not only that, but I need to clear my head."

  "What's troubling you?" Lingaria asked.

  "As if you don't know? You can read every thought I have."

  "I can, but I still want to know."

  "What happens if Duggary dies? That will be on my hands, not just for my own conscience, but these men will never trust me. Then, word will reach back to the castle I killed one of my troop members, and then I'll never be able to step foot into the Tellurian kingdom again." She swung her blade into the trunk of a nearby tree, enjoying the solid thud it made as it landed.

  To her left, something made a rustling noise on the ground that put her on high alert. She jutted the sword out, knees slightly bent as she put herself into attack stance.

  "What do you want?" she yelled.

  No one responded. She took another step forward, and as she did so, a branch cracked under foot, disturbing a pile of leaves and a large black and red snake emerged slithering speedily through the forest refuse.

  Svana let out a blood-curdling scream, her feet dancing faster than a court jester trying to impress the king. She leapt over the snake toward a tree branch. She reached up, grabbed the branch, and pulled her legs up.

  "Your fear of snakes is going to get you injured, Svana."

  "Where did it go? Do you see it?" Dangling from the tree, her eyes searched the ground. "It's going to come after me, I know it."

  "It is quite foolish for you to be scared of a snake, but not a dragon. We're practically cousins," Lingaria said.

  "If you remember, I was scared of dragons at first. And, snakes are totally different. They don't have legs. They're unnatural."

  Lingaria left the sword, and Svana watched him fly low to the ground searching for the offensive creature. "If your dancing about didn't scare him, I'm sure your scream did," he chuckled.

  "Svana, are you all right?" Jasper came tumbling into the woods, his face contorted.

  Feeling foolish, she was afraid to let go of the tree for fear of stepping on the slithering beast, she shrugged her shoulders.

  "I'm great, just hanging around."

  "Who were you talking to just now?" Jasper glanced around, but didn't notice Lingaria who had already disappeared into Svana's sword scabbard.

  "Just myself," she lied.

  Jasper looked around once more, then looked back to Svana looking her up and down with a frown on his face.

  "If you were talking to yerself, I won't tell. We're all a wee bit crazy being on the road all the time, with no one to talk to but each other and four bit lass," he confessed.

  "What's a four bit lass?" she asked, taking another look around before she dropped to the ground. Her eyes still searching the fallen leaves for the flash of black and red.

  "They're the women of the night. They're few and far between, but when we find one they're always four Vellarians or more. That's why we call 'em a four-bit lass."

  "A woman of the night?"

  Jasper's face turned several shades of red before he looked away from her, not able to look her in the eye.

  "Milady, if you don't know, it's best you never do."

  Svana shook her head, annoyed. "Fine, if you won't tell me... I don't care. I want to get out of here though, and as soon as possible. Where's my sword?" The glint of it caught her eye the same time as Jasper, and he hurried to grab it for her.

  "I'll retrieve that for you..."

  "No, that's all right..." she tried to stop him, but it was too late.

  The moment his hand touched the grip, he was flung backward onto the ground.

  "What was that?" His eyes went wide, and his mouth was agape, as he stood to his feet.

  "It's a special sword. Made just for me," she said matter of fact.

  "Is that so?"

  "It is, is Gill back? I need to care for Duggary."

  Jasper looked as if he wanted to say more, but Svana hurried out of the woods wanting to put the incident, and the snake behind her. She stayed several steps ahead of Jasper and immediately checked Duggary's fever and wound before anyone could say two words to her.

  "Where’d you go?" Gill's voice was soft and low.

  "I needed time to practice. You're back already?" Her eyebrows raised.

  "Indeed, I came into some kindly villagers who were able to direct me to a nearby creek. Turns out we're in a good spot here. There's a creek just there, through those hills. The terrain gets a little rough, but I found it easy enough."

  "Can you all stop your yakking and bring me something to drink?" Duggary croaked.

  Duggary's dry voice could be heard through their conversation. Svana hurried about to get him a flask and refilled it with fresh water before she handed it back to him.

  "That smells good, what did ya cook?" Branwin exited his tent, looking no worse for the wear.

  Ignoring him, Svana checked the sword wound, pleased that although slightly red and swollen, it looked much better than it had in the early morning. His fever was gone as well, and Svana felt an overwhelming sense of relief.

  "Duggary, you're feeling better?" Svana asked.

  "Indeed, milady. Thank you for caring for me. Not sure if I would have made it through the night without you."

  "I'm the one who harmed you," she retorted.

  "And you are the one who stayed by my side to make sure I was taken care of. Men have died for less."

  Svana nodded. "I suppose they have."

  "When do we get to eat?" Branwin used a rag to lift the lid over the stew and smell. His eyes rolled back in his head, and he smiled long and hard before he finally said. "If that tastes half as good as it smells, we're not letting you go anywhere."

  "Shoo, the stew won't be ready for a while yet. If you're hungry, eat some fruit."

  "Stubborn woman," Branwin grumbled as he sat on a log to wait.

  45

  Hekla

  Whenever you're in doubt about what you're doing in life, look into the eyes of an innocent young girl, and ask yourself if you're doing right by her.

  King Martin the Truthful, Third King of Aequoris, 498 A.V.

  When Hekla awoke, breakfast had already come and a small pearlescent plate made of oyster shells contained a variety of seafood and fruit she didn't recognize. The guard who had roughly handled her the day before stood just outside her cell, and seeing that she was awake, glared at her angrily through the algae encrusted bars.

  "Well, a lovely morning to you," Hekla said pleasantly.

  The guard only grunted in response. Hekla grabbed her plate and retreated to the back of the cell where she could converse quietly with Speltus while she tried to choke down some food. Seafood, the only downside to being underwater.

  "Try the Aequoran pear, they are extremely sweet and delicious. I guarantee you've never tasted anything like it," Speltus whispered into her ear as he emerged from her pack.

  Bitin
g into it, the nectar of it kissed at her taste buds like heaven itself had created a fruit. It took her no time at all for her to finish, but when it came to the array of shrimp and small fish that had been prepared for her, Hekla couldn't bring herself to bite into them.

  "I don't suppose you'll eat this, will you?" she asked Speltus, who darted off her shoulder, slurped up the food in what seemed to be one messy bite, and then he had disappeared.

  "They sure are feeding you well, for being a prisoner," he remarked quietly.

  "Indeed, after the way they manhandled me here," she said, her face contorting into a grimace as she remembered the night before.

  "Don't let it get to you, we have much to accomplish today." With that, Speltus chanted something, and the guard fell promptly to sleep.

  "How did you do that?" Hekla asked, her face alight with excitement at the prospect of being able to put someone to sleep on command.

  "Not yet, Hekla. When it is time, I will teach you, for now... repeat after to me. 'Aquum Purum Sharkum.'"

  Hekla followed his lead.

  "Aquum Purum Sharkum," she said with meaning.

  Before her, a small vortex appeared, the liquid of the ocean swirling and contorting until the image of a shark appeared. It opened its large toothy mouth, its eyes scrunched angrily as it swam toward her. Hekla screamed, and tried to run away, but her cell gave her no room for escape.

  "What in the world, Speltus! Make it go away! It's going to kill me!" She screamed again, then dropped to the floor covering her head with her hands.

  "Relax, you ridiculous woman. It is merely an illusion. You can create any sea creature you like from water. This is another temporary spell like the blindness. It won't last long, but if you are being attacked, you can conjure a shark and scare off anyone who may be after you. Or even scare off an oncoming army."

  "What does that mean? Do you know something I don't know?" Hekla asked, raising her brows.

  "Not in the slightest, dear girl. I was just giving a for instance. That is all."

  "Oh," she responded, studying his features to determine if he was telling the truth, or if he was indeed hiding something from her. She'd never known her dragon guide to lie and decided to drop the subject after a minute.

  "Ready to continue now?" he asked her, his arms crossed indignantly.

  "Yes." Hekla nodded, her face stern, but eyes focused on his every move.

  He continued to show her different animals she could create in water. And how to increase the size of the water orb, how to create waves, and water walls, and he didn't complete his teaching until well into the night. The guard had awoken a few times but each time, Speltus had muttered the spell that would send him right back to sleep.

  Exhausted, Hekla fell into a deep sleep, but it didn’t last long. In the morning, as the false light the Aequorans used to illuminate their home streamed through a small barred window of her entrapment, a little girl watched Hekla sleep.

  Almost as if sensing the little one's eyes on her, the blue-haired woman sat upright abruptly.

  "What are you doing here, little girl?" Hekla said sleepily.

  The little girl's aquamarine eyes blinked, large and curious, and for a moment she didn't answer Hekla's question, only stared in wonder.

  "What are you doing here?" the jade skinned little girl asked, her face pressed against the aging bars.

  "Well," Hekla began, wondering how the little girl had gotten down there, and just what she should tell her. "I came to meet with your king, to help bring peace to Aequoris once more."

  "Why are you in jail? Only bad men get put in jail."

  "Well, I'm neither bad, nor a man. I think that's why I'm in here. How did you get past the guards?"

  "Oh that was easy, they are all off eating right now. You just have to know how to time it." The little girl stood, her forest green dress contrasting against her jade skin. "Elder Croecius was talking with one of the soldiers. He said you were a witch. Seems like if you were a witch, you'd have escaped by now," the little girl said matter-of-fact, convinced that she was right.

  "I am most definitely not a witch. I don't even think they exist," Hekla said, a smile playing at the corner of her lips.

  "Well, if you are... it might be good of you to escape. They're coming to kill you, you know." With that revelation, the curious child bounced along through the same door she had come in.

  Her words startled Hekla, and she knew she couldn't sit around any longer.

  "Speltus, we must get out of here."

  "Yes, well... I didn't teach you all that magic for nothing. Figure out a way to get us out of here, and we will. You can't destroy the place, it will soon be your kingdom. So you must discern a way that will help us to leave safely and without destruction."

  "Very well," Hekla paced the floor of the cell, her heart rate increasing as she thought about the incoming line of soldiers who may very well be on their way to kill her at that very moment. Her anger flared, and try as she might, she seemed to be at a standstill. "I don't know what to do, Speltus. Tell me what to do."

  "I cannot, madam Hekla. This is your battle to fight."

  "My battle?" she asked. Then her voice grew louder, and she yelled at him, "My battle? How can this be my battle when it was never my choice to do this in the first place?" Her voice raised several octaves, and in a fit of rage she yelled as loud as her voice would allow, "Aquum Purum Orbium Expandum, Expandum!"

  "No! Hekla, what are you doing!?" Speltus yelled out, but it was too late.

  The water orb she created with the spell was larger than anything he could have anticipated. She whipped her hand back and then flipped her wrist toward the barred wall that kept her contained.

  The orb flew at it, in one powerful crushing swoop ripping the bars from the ground, and causing the rocky ceiling to crumble over them.

  "What are you doing?" The familiar voice of the little girl was back, and Hekla watched nearly powerless as the surrounding jail began to collapse.

  To Hekla's dismay, one tall side of the jail had begun to crumble outward and toward the little girl. Swimming as quickly as she could, she thrust her body toward the sea-foam haired child, clutching her to her body, and rolled them both out of the doorway just as the entire jail crashed in on itself.

  "Oh my dear, are you alright?" In the still intact hallway, Hekla held the girl out firmly from her, looking her over for scratches or injuries.

  "I'm all right. You saved me." The child's small voice cut through Hekla like a knife.

  I may have saved her, but I nearly killed her in the process.

  “I'm so glad you're all right, dear one. Please, you must leave from here. It's not safe. Go back to your family," Hekla urged her.

  "All right, but you have to leave too. They're on their way to kill you right now. I heard them talking."

  Hekla bent and kissed the child on her forehead.

  "Thank you, dear child, for saving my life. I will escape, I promise. Now please... go."

  The little girl nodded her jade green face at Hekla, smiling impishly as she skipped away.

  46

  Astrid

  Training someone in a skill is never easy. It takes willpower and patience. But training multiple people takes even more than that--it takes whiskey.

  King Rowan the Observant, First King of Telluris, 242 A.V.

  Astrid paced in front of the Caelestan soldiers. They all watched her with anticipation, and most of all, uncertainty. They didn't believe she would be able to teach them anything. At least, most of them appeared that way. The others, looked intrigued.

  "All right, soldiers. Today I want to start with basic techniques. How confident you are with your arrow is going to show with every one you loose." Astrid spoke assuredly, brushing her emerald locks out of her face, watching the stance of every soldier that now lined up before her, their arrows pointed forward at their targets. "Your stance is also important, and if you are not steady, nor will your aim be. So spread those feet ap
art, make sure you are solid and straight. Then pull your elbow back. Do not waver, or you will surely miss."

  "Easy for you to say, with your magic bow!" a soldier from far down the line shouted.

  "Here, here!" several more agreed.

  "What are you saying, soldier? Are you saying if not for my bow I could not aim true and hit my target?"

  The wild haired being pulled his hair into a pony tail before answering. "That is exactly what I am saying."

  The same man from the day before; clearly he is threatened by me.

  "Listen, I don't know what I've done to offend you, but I am here to help. That is my goal. But I cannot help you if you do not trust me. So let me ease your worries." She walked toward him, taking his bow from his hand and pushing him out of the way. "Hand me an arrow, would you please?"

  Again, there was no breeze, and she knew her aim would land true. She steadied her stance, brought the arrow notch up to eye-level and aimed just above the center of the target. Sucking in a deep breath, she let the arrow fly. It landed perfectly in the center of the target, the other soldiers could only gasp and cheer.

  "Well, it seems I stand corrected. It is not your bow that is magic, it is you," the Caelestan said.

  "Huh?" Her eyes met his, wondering if she should take offense, but his face only showed a friendly grin.

  She smiled back. "So, you trust me then?"

  "I do," he answered. "Now I must say, and I repeat what the men have been asking since we heard of you. Please, Astrid of the Bow, stay with us. Be our general, with you by our side, we would be unstoppable."

  Astrid shook her wild green hair. She had not been able to tame before she had donned her armor and joined the soldiers for their training. "I cannot do such a thing. You do not understand. I am responsible for so much death already. That is not who I am."

  "Astrid, if you knew what had occurred between our two kingdoms. There used to be so much peace, and now there is nothing but war. Fighting and death, and nothing else. However, if we could win... if we could overtake the Tellurians. We could put a stop to this once and for all. Do you not understand how that would help to put a stop to the death that has happened, the deaths that continue to happen?"